Bonus Points - A USA Wrestling Podcast | Mat Talk Podcast Network

Bonus Points is the official podcast of USA Wrestling and TheMat.com hosted by Richard Immel. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive®, Bonus Points offers interviews and insight from USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body for wrestling in the United States and will feature coaches, athletes and notable names from the sport of wrestling. Part of the Mat Talk Podcast Network.

Dean just completed a remarkable collegiate career for the Big Red as a four-time NCAA All-American with placements of third, first, first and second at the NCAA Championships.

His list of achievements include being a four-time EIWA champion, two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year and the Cornell record holder for all-time wins at 152.

As a senior, Dean finished with a 35-1 overall record and 20 pins, the highest mark in the NCAA this season.

In his final collegiate match, Dean was upset in the NCAA finals by Penn State's Bo Nickal, 4-3. Despite this loss, Dean will go down as one of the top wrestlers in NCAA history, all the while staying true to himself and his personal values.

Topics of discussion include his final run at the NCAA Championships, the legacy he built at Cornell, the sustained success of the Cornell program, overcoming adversity and much more.

Salata is fresh off winning her third University Nationals title with a masterful performance at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Canton, Mich. native has seen tremedous success throughout her career. Salata is a two-time WCWA Women's College Nationals champion and four-time college All-American. She won a Univesity World bronze medal in 2014 and was a member of U.S. Junior World Teams in 2012 and 2013.

Salata will comepte at either 69 kg or 75 kg at the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. this April. She was the 75 kg runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Senior Nationals.

On top of her career as an athlete, Salata just completed her first season as an assistant coach at King University, a program that has now won four-straight WCWA team titles. Salata also participates part-time as a freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling official.

Topics of discussion include winning a third University Nationals title, being a member of the King wrestling program in multiple capacities, the growth of women's wrestling and much more.

Cruz won the 125-pound title at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held in St. Louis, Mo., March 16-18.

Throuhgout his three-day journey in St. Louis, Cruz defeated Dylan Peters of Northern Iowa, Shakur Laney of Ohio, Sean Fausz of North Carolina State, Thomas Gilman of Iowa and Ethan Lizak of Minnesota to become the 22nd individual to win a NCAA title for Lehigh.

Cruz downed the top seed Gilman 4-2 in the semifinals courtesy of a takedown in sudden victory. He secured a 6-3 win over Lizak in the championship match.

At the conclusion of his junior campaign for the Mountain Hawks, Cruz owns two NCAA All-American honors and two EIWA conference championships. He finished with a 31-2 record this season.

Topics of discussion include his NCAA title run, what it means to accomplish this feat for Lehigh, turning towards a title defense and much more.

Episode 70 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features the "Magic Man" himself, David Taylor.

Taylor is fresh off a landmark performace at the 2017 Freestyle World Cup where he went 4-0 for the U.S. at 86 kg/189 lbs. by defeating two Olympic champions, an Olympic bronze medalist and a Junior World champion over a two-day span.

Prior to the World Cup, Taylor won gold medals at four international events with his most recent coming at the 2017 Paris International. He finished in third place at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 86 kg.

Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion, four-time NCAA finalist, two-time Hodge Trophy winner and four-time Big Ten champion for Penn State from 2010 to 2014. He also helped Penn State capture four-straight NCAA championships as a team.

Topics of discussion include traveling to Iran for the Freestyle World Cup, his dynamic World Cup performance, Penn State wrestling and much more.